Binding for the unselvaged edges of fabrics



June 20, 1933. A. F. MccoLLUM I 915235 BNING FOR THE UNSELVAGED EDG'ES OF FABRICS Filed April 7, '1927 2 sheets-sheet 1 June 20, 1933. A. F. MCCOLLUM BINDING FOR THE UNSELVAGED EDGES OF FABRICS Filed April 7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Junefzo, 1933- F. MCCOLL'UH, OF BIgOOMSU/RG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MAGEE CARPET C0., OF BLOQMSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA, A V(PORIPORA'IION 0f PENNSYLVANIA f ynummer Fon THE UNSELVAGED nDG'Es or' nannies l' Application filed April 7,

My invention relates to improvements in bindings for nselvaged edges of fabrics, and Y particularly the unselvagcd edges of` pile fabrics such as commonly used for floor cov-v erings.L f

The principal object of my invention provideel novel and effective binding for the stated class of fabric' whichshall be unobtrusive in appearancfeandwhich shall leave they pile substantially unaffected and in the normal state to the extreme edge of the fabric.

Another obj ect ofthel invention is to provide an improvedfbinding for unselvage'd fabric edges which shall so completelyv cover and/bind the said edge that inall desirable respects it may be considered the full equiva` lent of the normal selvaged edge, the binding on the-other hand having actual advantages overthe normal selvage by reason of a reinforcing and strengthening elect which thev binding stitches haveupon the fabric.

A further object of the invention is to provide a binding for unselvaged edges ofpile fabrics that will permit the piecing together v of sections ofA fabric along the bound unsel- .raged edges with the same facility and equal- I lyg'ood results as may be had inpiecing fabrics together along normally selvagedy edges.

In the attached drawings: Figure 1 is `a view in perspective of a fragment of carpet whose unselvaged edges are bound in accordance Wit-l1` the present invention; i

Fig. 2 is Ian inverted perspective` of a frag-` -mentha portion .of the unselvaged edge of 'which' is bound in accordance with the 'presentinvention, v.the stitches in this illustration being somewhat'exaggerated in order to make the character thereof clear;

l Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating two pieces of carpet bound. in accordance with .the present invention and pieced togetherLA along their bound unselvaged edges;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a method of binding which includes a binding strip underlying and held in position by the binding;

Fig. 5 1s an edge view of the bound .fabric 5 illus-media Fig.4;- A

is tol 192i serial No. 181,744..

AFigzti is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 5A;` FigV is a view of the vreverse side of an outer corner of fabric bound-in accordance' with my invention; g Fig. 8 is a view showing the binding ofan inside corner; p

9, 10 and 11, 'showprogressiv'e steps in the formation of. the binding stitch;

FiglQ is a diagrammatic view illustrating thei character of the finished binding stitch, an

Figs. 13 and 1l are fragmentary plan and elevational views respectively of a portion of a. sewing machine mechanism adapted for the practice fof my invention and-illustrating the manner in'which the fabric is fed to the needles.

.Referringtol'the drawings, and particucomplished by means primarily of stitches b made with suitable bindingyarn and so formed as to be confined entirely to the body UNITI-:n sTA'rEs PATENT "OFFICE l or base of the carpet beneath the pile In other words, instead of applying the stitches to the carpet edges in such manner as to cover `va portion of the pile at the edge of the fabric 'after the usual manner, I so form the bind-y ing stitches as inno way to affect the normal appearance of the pile, which accordingly extends uninterruptedlytot-he extreme edge of the fabric. f

An important novel characteristic .of the present invention. resides in the peculiar /character of the stitch employed for-thepurpose which is suchasto a'ord a bound edge `f which in a Yessential and'desirablerespects n 1s the full equivalent. of a normal selvaged edge. By my invention, notf'onljY is the unselvaged edge( of the fabric closely and firmly bound so that no loose ends projector are visible, but the binding stitches may be made so compactV and tight at the edges of the. fabric that while covering and closely confining the said loose ends the;r are practically invisible to the casual observer and give the general appearance vof a normal selvaged edge. -'Furthermore,` the character of the manner Vof my invention may be. Pieced to-f bindingstitches is such that a fabric having edges boundv in accordance with my invention may be treated in all respects as a fabric l `fed to the needle in an inverted positionV or whose edges are normally selVaged. As shown in Fig. for example, pieces of fabrlc having unselvaged edgesbound after the gether along these bound unselvaged edges in exactly the same manner `and withthe same general effect as though the edges were-nor,- mally selvaged."

lVth reference to the aforesaid Figure 3,'

it will be noticed that by reasonv of the character of the bindingas previously stated and as well shown in Fig. 1, the pile extends uninterruptedly to the extreme edges of lthe fabric' and even projects at the top ,as at a normally selvaged edge beyond the edge f the base fabric. lVhen, therefore, the sections are joined together, the pile meets above the joint A and effectively hides the latter so that the Vseam is as nearly invisible as a seam between "normally selvaged fabrics.

The stitch lendsl itself readily to certain modified forlns of binding, such for example as shown in Figs." 4, 5 and G, in which the binding stitches I) are utilized notv only to bind the unselvage'd ledges but to hold around the edge without piercing a binding strip d which completely embraces and encloses the unselvaged edge, as clearly illus-' trated.

-In order to more clearly describe the character of the stitch and the manner in which it is applied to the fabric, I have illustrated in Figs. 9 to 11, inclusive, the` stitch-forming elements of a. machine adapted to apply the stitches at the unsclvaged edges of the fab-r ric in accordance with the present invention;

and in Figs. 13`and 14 sufficient of the inachine to illustrate the manner in which the fabric passes to the stitch-forming elements.

This machine is of the general type known in the trade as a serger and utilizes a needle 1` and 'a palr of loopers 4l and 4S which cooperate with the needle to form the stitch. The

needle l is reciprocated in the usual manner.

and the fabric is advanced under the needle with the 'usual rintermittent movement through the medium, in the present'instance, o'f an oscillating presser foot 13. The needle operates in a guide slot, one side Vof which is formed b v-a horizontal rotary disk 32 mounted upon a table extension, this table being pivotally secured to the frame and being retained in a normal operativeposit-ion by means of a chain 33a passing. over a grooved pulley 35.' The'bottom of the said guide slot is formed by an element 36 and the side opposite the member 32 by a vertical guide element 37, this element being mounted on a bracket 3S held to the. fixed v'framefby means of a set screw 39. The mechanism of which the Aaforcdescribed elements are a part application, Serial Number 274,065, and is therein described in detail. E

As shown in Figs. 13 and 14; the fabric is with the pile down. Also the edge of lthe fabric which is presented to the needle is turned downwardly between the guide elements32 and 37 so that it extendsl at only a slight angle to the plane in which the needle operates. Under these" circulnstances, the needle after passing through the fabric travels on the piled side substantially parallel to the base and along the bottom of the pile so that the thread while emhracingthe edge Aof the base fabric does not extend over the tops ofA the pile, all asclearly illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive.`

yThe relative movements of the needle l andof loopers 47 and 48 and the character of the resulting stitch are ybest illustrated in Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive. vIt will hey noted that three'independent yarns are involved in the vproduction of the stitch; a needle yarnl G1 Zing upwardly from its low position. At the low position, the,- looper 47 `which operates underneath the fabric n1ovesforward to take a loop 64 from the needle, and in Fig. 9, this loop is clearly shown. In Fig. 10,'the looper 47 has moved still further forward, while lthe needle 1 is at orclosely approaches the top of its stroke, and it will be noted that in this position the looper 48 has moved forward and has taken a loop 65 from the looper 47, which operates above the fabric. Also in this position, a loop 66 which was previously taken from the'looper 48-by the needle 1 is being cast b v the needle.

In Fig. 11. the needle 1 is at the top 'of the stroke, while the loopers 47 and 4S have advanced to the Aextreme forward positions of their individual strokes, and jit will be noted that in this positiolrthe needle 1 is about to lnove downwardly-"to take a loop, corresponding. to the loop 66 previously taken, from the looper 4S. In their retracted movements, the. loopers47 and. 48 cast their respective loops in a manner thatwill he appare/nt. and the resulting stitch is illustrated in Fig. 12. In thisstitch. the yarn `63 is laid upon the bottom face ofthe fabric to form a series of loops'the closed Aends' 67 of which lie at the edge of the fabric,.while the yarn 61 forms a corresponding series of through the machine in the inverted position.

The needle yarn 61, however, in addition to forming the. loop 68 passes throughthe fabric in a'series of loops which bind down the yarn 63 at the inner ends of the afore said. loops 67. The yarn 62, on the other hand, is intertwined with the loops 67 and 68, as clearly illustrated at theedge of the fabric in such manner as to complete the stitch by binding these free loopstogether. It will be noted that the three yarns are united along a line directly over the unselvaged edge ofthe bound fabric and in such manner as to entirely cover and bind inthe said edges and the loose ends thereof, as shown for example in Fig. l and 2. By ad# justing the tension of the various yarns', the loops 6T and 68 may be moreor less closely drawn together. lVhere a binding strip such as that designated d in Figs. el, 5 and 6 used, it is not essential that the loops 6T and 68 be so tightly drawn together, and it is sometimes desirable to leave them comparatively loose. Without the binding strip 4, it isgenerally desirable to bind the edges closely and firmly with the yarn, and with the' proper tension the loops 67 and 68 may be so closely bound together that the yarn 62 and the stitches at the bound edge of the fabric are so compact as to be practically invisible to the casual observer. The tight binding is particularly desirable where-pieces of fabric are to be joined along the unselvaged bound edges, as shown in Fig. 3. In any event, it will be understood that the yarn 3o 61 on` the piled face of the fabric extends j along the body of the yarn at the bottom of the pile, as shownin-Figs. 3, 5 and 6, and 1s not only not visible at the top of the fabric but actually leaves the pile unaected and in normal state completely to the edge of the fabric;

. I claim: f

1. As a new article of manufacture, a pile fabric having an unselvaged edge bound by means of a series of stitches extending around the edge and against the body of the fabric at the base of the pile, said stitches leaving the. pile substantially unaffected and being constituted by at least three independent 45 strands of yarn, two of said strands lying against the opposite faces of the body and being joined together bv a third strand extending along the unselvaged edge.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a pile fabric ,having an unselvaged edge bound by means of a series of stitches .embracing said edge and comprising free portions anchored to the fabric and extending toward the edge on both faces of the fabric, said free portions on the pile face lying close against the l body fabric at the base of the pile and leaving the pile substantially unaffected, and a strand interlaced with said free portions along the unselvaged edge to closely confine the loose ends of th` fabric and to protect .Y f said edge.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a pile fabric having an unselvaged edge bound by the fabric and extending toward the edge' on both faces of the fabric, said lloops on the pile face lying close against the body fabric at the base ofthe pile whereby the pile is left substantially unaffected, and a strand interlaced with said loops land binding the latter together along the unselvaged edge and forming with. the ends of said loops a substantially closed border closely confining the loose ends o the fabric and protecting said unselvaged e ge. v

. 4. As a new article of manufacture, a composite pile fabric consisting .of a plurality of separate sections of fabric joined together along unselvaged edges; each of said edges being bound by a series of stitches embracing the said edge and including free portions' an chored to the fabric and extending toward the edge on both faces of the fabrid, said free portions on the pile face lying close against the body fabric at the base of the pile wherelby the pile is left substantially unaffected to extend uninterruptedly substantially to the edge of the bodv fabric. and `a strand interlaced with said free portions along the unselvaged edgeto closelv confine the'loose ends of the fabric; and stitches uniting said bound edges, said stitches being confined to the body of the fabric at the lbase of the pile and in conjunctionwith said binding stitches pro- 9 ducing a strong seam substantially invisible from the pile face of the fabric.

ALFRED F. McCOLLUM.

means of a series of stitches embracing said 66 edge and comprising free loops anchored to 

